Art of producing ice briquettes



1961 -E.'J. KocHER ETAL 2,997,861

ART OF PRODUCING ICE BRIQUETTES Filed Oct. 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV EN TORS 591: J. Kacw'R 20 GE? CJOHA/JQM 55515014 i'eexu E. J. KOCHERET AL ART OF PRODUCING ICE BRIQUETTES EEICH K0 ems/e Z0 GEE C. JoAla/50M Aug. 29, 1961 Filed Oct. 17, 1958 Un t SW P te 5$ Patented Aug.29, 1961 ART OF PRODUCING ICE BRIQUETTES Erich J. Kocher, Milwaukee, andRoger C. Johnson,

West Allis, Wis., assignors, by mesne assignments, to

Vilter Manufacturing Corporation, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Oct.17, 1958, Ser. No. 767,887 2 Claims. (Cl. 62-347) The present inventionrelates generally to improvements in the art of producing icebriquettes, and it relates more specifically to an improved method ofand apparatus for eifecting commercial production of solid icebriquettes or pieces.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved method ofand apparatus for producing ice briquettes or the like in a simple buthighly effective man ner, and some of the more important specificobjects thereof are as follows:

To provide an improved method of commercially producing solid ice bodiesor pieces adapted to be utilized to cool diverse commodities, and whichare of such shape that large surface area is exposed to the commodityper unit of volume of each piece while also promoting quick melting andtherefore rapid cooling of the' commodity. i To provide simple buthighly efficient apparatus for effecting practical exploitation of theimproved method at high speed and with great volume.

To provide an improved method and apparatus for producing ice briquettesshaped to prevent large surface contact areas between adjoining pieceswhen piled in bulk, thus making the briquettes readily separable afterprolonged storage periods.

To provide improved equipment for commercially producing the improvedbriquettes, which can be easily installed and operated at moderate cost,and which is also devoid of complicated parts and mechanism for scrapingor cutting ice from the forming surfaces.

. To provide a method of simultaneously and automatically producinglarge quantities of ice briquettes with the aid of asimple refrigerationsystem embodying few moving parts such as a standard compressor andbriquette conveyor, and in which the maintenance cost is reduced to a Toprovide an improved article of manufacture in the form of a crescentshaped ice briquette or body which can be rapidly and economicallyproduced in various sizes.

These and other more specific objects and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from the following description.

- A clear conception of the several steps involved in the improvedprocess of producing the briquettes and of the construction andoperation of apparatus for commercially exploiting the new method, maybe had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part ofthis specification in which like reference characters designate the sameor similar parts in the various views.

. FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of a briquetteforming unit adapted to produce ice pieces in accordance with thepresent method, this equipment being provided with a perforated beltconveyor for transferring the finished briquettes from the productionunit;

FIG. 2 is a similarly diagrammatic transverse vertical section throughseveral briquette forming coils of a unit similar to that of FIG. 1, butshowing a screw type of conveyor for transferring the finishedbriquettes from the unit;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through one of thebriquette producing coils showing the manner in which the ice depositsare formed on the external surfaces of the freezing tubes;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the final crescent shaped solidice briquettes or pieces;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of one type of refrigeration system adapted to beused to produce the improved briquettes in accordance with the presentmethod; and

FIG. 6 is a timing diagram depicting the automatic operation of therefrigeration system of FIG. 5.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as beingadvantageously applicable to a method and installation for producingsolid ice pieces or briquettes from water with the aid of a particulartype of refrigeration system, it is not intended to restrict theimproved method to this specific embodiment; and it is also contemplatedthat specific descriptive terms employed herein be given the broadestpossible interpretation consistent with the actual disclosure.

Fundamentally, the present invention involves a method of producingsolid ice briquettes of approximately crescent or C-shape, by causingsuccessive films of liquid to be deposited upon several verticallyseparated substantially horizontal cold tubes each having thereonlongitudinal and transverse external fins which divide the external tubesurfaces into local segregated freezing zones or areas within which thebriquettes are formed, and by subsequently heating or partiallydefrosting the freezing surface areas of the tubes to remove thefinished briquettes by gravity.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings, the briquetteproducing unit for carrying on the steps of this improved method,preferably comprises one or more banks of vertically superimposedparallel horizontal ice freezing tube sections 8 connected by endheaders or bends 9, and each of which sections is provided withlongitudinal and transverse fins 1t 11 respectively; a liquiddistributing pan 12 located above the tube sections 8 and having lowerslots or orifices 13 therein formed to deliver films of liquid bygravity along the opposite sides of the longitudinal fins 10 and of thefreezing tubes 8 between the transverse fins 11; a liquid collecting andsupply pan 14 located below the tube sections 8 and being provided witha fresh liquid inlet pipe 15 having a shut-off valve 16 therein and afloat valve 17 associated with its delivery end; an intermittentlyoperable liquid pump 18 for transferring liquid from the lower pan 14into the upper pan 12; a conveying and excess liquid separating devicedisposed between the tube sections 8 and the pan 14 for removing thefinal ice briquettes 19 in relatively dry condition from the producingunit; and means for periodically alternately causing refrigerating andheating medium to flow through the tube sections 8 and bends 9.

The pipes or tube sections 8 and the fins 10, 11 are preferably formedof good heat conducting metal, and the fins 10, 11 cooperate to formlocal pockets or restricted surface areas on the several tube sections8, of proper size to produce crescent shaped briquettes 19 0f thedesired dimensions, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The coils formed by thetube sections 8 and end bends 9, are provided with lower and upperconnections or conduits 20, 21 respectively for conducting refrigerantand heating media to and from the tubes in a manner to be laterexplained, and the lower pan 14 should be amply supplied with liquidsuch as water while the pump 17 should be normally operated toconstantly maintain an ample supply of this liquid within the upper pan12 while briquettes 19 are being produced.

The briquette discharge and excess liquid drainage device may be of anysuitable type adapted to perform its intended function. As shown in FIG.1, this device comprises a perforated endless belt 23 coacting with endpulleys 24 and adapted to be driven so that its upper stretch willconstantly advance in the direction of the arrow toward at briquettecollecting or receiving receptacle. As

shown in FIG. 2, the device comprises a helical conveyor screw 26constantly rotatable within a perforated trough 27 and which is alsoadapted to be driven so as to deliver the ice briquettes 19 into acollecting receptacle 25 located beyond an end of the lower pan 14. Inboth devices, the perforations in the belt 23 and trough 27 serve todrain excess liquid from the briquettes 19 before the latter aredelivered into a collecting receptacle 27, and to return the colddrainage liquid into the lower pan 14.

Since ice cannot be frozen upon the tube sections 8 indefinitely, thebriquettes 19 must be periodically harvested. The solid ice briquettes19 can obviously be formed by admitting liquid refrigerant to the tubesections 8 through a lower conduit 20 and by delivering the spentgaseous refrigerant from these tube sections through an upper conduit 21as in a direct expansion refrigeration system; while removal of thefinal briquettes 19 may be effected periodically by merely heating thetube sections 8 to defrost the same in any suitable manner. The termdefrost as used herein, however, is intended to cover only partialmelting of the concave surface portions of the ice pieces or briquettes19 merely sufiicient to release them from the external tube surfaces andfins 10, 11 as distinguished from complete melting of frost deposits asin ordinary refrigerating systems.

Now referring especially to FIG. 5 of the drawing, which discloses adiagram of one type of refrigeration system for exploiting the steps ofthe present improved method, this system comprises in general acompressor 30, a condenser 31, a high pressure receiver 32, a lowpressure accumulator receiver 33, a refrigerant circulating pump 34, abriquette producing unit 35, and a plurality of valves and otheraccessories for effecting normal functioning of the system to produceand periodically remove the finished briquettes 19. The main compressor30 has an inlet line 36 which communicates with the upper interior ofthe accumulator receiver 33 past a solenoid actuated valve 2a, and theoutlet line 37 of the compressor 30 communicates with the condenser 31past a non-return valve 38. The condenser 31 is adapted to deliverliquid refrigerant to the high pressure receiver 32 through a conduit39, and this receiver 32 has a liquid refrigerant discharge line 40which is connected past a second solenoid actuated valve 1a with a floatcontrolled valve 41 for normally maintaining the proper high level ofliquid refrigerant within the low pressure receiver 33. The liquidrefrigerant circulating pump has its inlet line 42 connected to thelowermost portion of the receiver 33, and its discharge line 43communicable past a non-return valve 44 with the lower conduit 20 of thebriquette producing unit 35, and the conduit 20 is also connected withthe delivery line 45 of the float valve 41. The upper conduit 21 of theunit 35 communicates with the interior of the receiver 33 above theliquid level therein, and a float actuated switch 46 which is operableby the level of the refrigerant within this receiver 33 when lowered bythe pump 34 controls the actuation of this pump during defrosting.

When the refrigeration system has been properly installed as shown inFIG. 5, its normal functioning is effected automatically as depicted inthe diagram of FIG. 6 illustrating one operating cycle, and is asfollows. During each briquette freezing period the circulating pump 34feeds liquid refrigerant from the low pressure accumulator receiver 33through the lower conduit 20 to the freezing coil of the unit 35 whilewater films or sprays are being cascaded over the tube sections 8' fromthe upper pan 12 through the orifices 13. Any excess liquid refrigerantadmitted to the freezing coil returns with the refrigerant vapor to thelow pressure receiver 33 through the upper conduit 21, and any suchrefrigerant required to make-up deficiency may be supplied to theconduit 20 past the float valve 41 while the solenoid valve 1a is open.

The pump-out period is an extension of the freezing period and isinitiated by closing the solenoid valve 1a and by operating thecirculatory pump 34 until low liquid level in the receiver 33 actuatesthe float switch 46. The water suppply pump 18 is then stopped duringthe subcooling period, whereupon the defrosting period is effected bystopping the refrigerant circulatory pump 34, by closing the solenoidvalve 221 and by opening the solenoid valve 1a so as to cause liquidrefrigerant from the high pressure receiver 32 to flow through the tubes8 until the float actuated valve 41 closes. The water sup ply pump 18may then be operated during the harvesting of the finished briquettes 19which have been released from the coil by the defrosting operation andwhich are deposited by gravity upon the conveyor and are transferredthereby into the receptacle 25, whereupon the cycle may be repeated toproduce subsequent batches of briquettes 19. It is to be noted thatwhile the valves 1a and 2a, and the float switch have been described asbeing electrically operated in order to produce automatic functioning ofthe system, these valves and switches may also be manually actuated inorder to carry on the several steps of the improved method, and othertypes of refrigeration systems may also be utilized for the commercialexploitation of the improved ice briquette production process.

From the foregoing detailed description it should be apparent that thepresent invention in fact provides an improved method of and apparatusfor producing solid ice briquettes 19' of improved formation, bothrapidly and elfectively with simple equipment which may be furnishedeither as a complete unit or assembled in the field. The inventionoffers a number of major advantages over other ice briquette producingequipment and methods. The shape of the improved briquettes 19 provideslarge exposed surface area per unit of volume, thus promoting rapidmelting of the pieces and resultant rapid cooling of the commodity towhich the briquettes are applied. This crescent or C-shape of thebriquettes 19 also eliminates large surface areas of contact between theadjoining pieces of ice when piled in bulk, thus making the briquetteseasily separable after storage periods. The briquette forming apparatusis very simple and easy to construct in various sizes and capacities,and may be 0perated with simple refrigeration systems without utilizingscrapers or cutters for removing the ice from the freezing surfaces. Thefew moving parts of the system, namely the pump 18 and the conveyor arerelatively available as standard equipment, and any repairs ormaintenance which might become necessary can be made without greatdifliculty and at moderate cost. The improved unit is extremely compact,considering its capacity, and can be utilized to produce batches ofsolid ice briquettes 19 in rapid succession.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact steps of the method or to the precise construction of theapparatus herein specifically shown and described, for variousmodifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur topersons skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. In a machine for producing ice briquettes, a series of verticallysuperimposed but separated horizontal cylindrical tubes interconnectedby longitudinal upright fins lying in the common plane of all of theaxes of the tubes and by a succession of equally spaced uprighttransverse fins cooperating with the longitudinal fins to divide theexternal tube surfaces into approximately semi-circular areas, means fordepositing successive films of water upon said tube surfaces, means forcooling said surfaces to simultaneously convert all of said films intosolid crescent shaped briquettes segregated by said fins, and means forperiodically heating said tube surfaces to defrost the tubessufficiently to allow the finished briquettes to gravitate therefrom,said tubes being spaced closely enough to each other to permit releaseof any ice buildup thereon during said defrosting operation.

2. In a machine for producing ice briquettes, a series of verticallysuperimposed but separated horizontal cylindrical tubes interconnectedby longitudinal upright fins lying in the common plane of all of theaxes of the tubes, means for depositing successive films of water uponsaid tube surfaces, means for cooling said surfaces to simultaneouslyconvert all of said films into solid crescent shaped briquettessegregated by said fins, and means for periodically heating said tubesurfaces to defrost the tubes sutficiently to allow the finishedbriquettes to gravitate therefrom, said tubes being spaced closelyenough to each other to permit release of any ice build-up thereonduring said defrosting operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Behn-a Sept. 26, Bowman Sept. 24, Gaugler -1- Jan. 11, Mufliy Jan. 1,Leopold Mar. 14, Higler Sept. 10,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany 1 Apr.- 19,

